This application discloses an improved modification of the closure disclosed and claimed in my copending application Ser. No. 61,832 filed July 30, 1979, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,653 granted Dec. 2, 1980, but it is not a continuing application relative thereto because the specific embodiment of the present application was not disclosed in the earlier application.
Because of the fact that many substances found in an average home are extremely dangerous and often life threatening, particularly if consumed by a child of tender years, much emphasis has been placed on packaging many such substances in containers provided with child-resistant caps. For example, many drugs, both prescription and over-the-counter, are so packaged, as are some dangerous liquid and particulate substances such as anti-freeze for automobiles, drain cleaners, furniture polishes, etc.
The most successful of the child-resistant closures usually have had two features in common. First, in order to remove or open the closure, it has been necessary that two separate and dissimilar movements or actions take place. It has been found that a child of tender years, say six or less, usually does not readily comprehend how these two dissimilar actions must be performed, although an older child or an adult can do so by reading the instructions which usually are printed or molded on the closures. Secondly, some of the most successful child-resistant closures have also had the property of clearly indicating to an observing adult whether or not the closure is in child-resistant status or merely has been returned to its container without being restored to protective condition.
Unfortunately, many other substances which commonly are found in domestic situations have not yet been provided with satisfactory child-resistant closures. For examples, toilet bowl cleaning liquids, dishwashing liquids, and others, which usually are packaged in containers having dispensing openings, still appear in the market place with closures which an average small child can readily open.
Many prior art child-resistant caps can be replaced upon their containers in what seems to be closed position without actually being re-established in child-resistant status. As a result, if the user is inattentive or a little bit careless, it may seem that the closure is safe although it really is not.
It is, therefore, the principal object of the invention to provide a child-resistant dispensing closure particularly designed to be utilized on containers of liquid materials which are dispensed in small quantities.
It is a second and equally important object of the instant invention to provide a child-resistant dispensing closure which positively indicates whether or not it is in protective status and which automatically returns to child-resistant status every time it is closed.
Yet another object of the instant invention is to provide a child-resistant dispensing closure which requires that two completely dissimilar actions be simultaneously performed in order to open the closure.
And another object of the instant invention is to provide a child-resistant dispensing closure which has no readily graspable protruding parts which a small child can grasp, even with its teeth.
And yet another object of the instant invention is to provide a child-resistant dispensing closure having the foregoing features which readily can be manufactured as a single, unitary piece of resilient, resinous material such as polypropylene or the like, thus enabling high-speed production in multi-cavity molds in order to minimize cost.